Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

Other varieties for cigar filler

zeben56

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
6
Points
3
Location
Granada (Nicaragua)
Hi everyone !

I have a small crop in Esteli (Nicaragua) where I produce some wrappers as a hobby. I'm thinking about trying a new variety that should be good as filler for cigar. In Esteli there is a lot of Habano, Criollo, Pensylvania, Broadleaf varieties and I would like to try something totally different. The curing process and fermentation should be the same as carribean tobacco. Maybe do you have some idea of interesting seeds that should be good in a clay soil ? I heard about Long red tobacco ? Any experiences, returns ? Thank you
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Re: Other varieties for cigar fillar

Some photos of Long Red.

Garden20140828_1498_LongRed_leafSize_300.jpg


Garden20150705_1882_Bob_longRedHand_400.jpg


Garden20150816_2032_LongRed_bed_600.jpg


Garden20170502_2589_cigar_longRed_600.jpg


Garden20170725_2897_LongRed_tiedHands_600.jpg


Garden20170921_3092_cigar_LongRed_foot_600.jpg


Available at Northwood Seeds: http://northwoodseeds.com/Seed List2.htm

Bob
 

zeben56

Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2017
Messages
6
Points
3
Location
Granada (Nicaragua)
Re: Other varieties for cigar fillar

Thank you Bob for the picture, the leaves are gorgeous ! Do you have an idea why this tobacco is not used anymore in the commercial cigars ?
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Re: Other varieties for cigar fillar

The American varieties, Long Red, Pennsylvania Red, Little Dutch and Dutch Ohio all have wonderful, deep flavors for cigars. But they don't taste like Caribbean/Central American cigar tobacco, which were all more or less derived from Vuelta Abajo strains over the past century. Habano, Corojo, Criollo and today's Vuelta Abajo, and many of the generic "Dominican" cigar leaf varieties, are all "Spanish" type tobacco, which has a moderate sized, somewhat rounded leaf, and a distinctive aroma. Piloto Cubano, Olor, Habano Colorado, Bolivia Criollo Black and Flojo have a growth habit and leaf shape closer to that of the previously mentioned American varieties--quite long and more sharply pointed leaves, with short distance between leaf nodes on the stalk. This group provides a different aroma compared to the Spanish types, but is frequently blended into fillers or used as binder for many popular Caribbean/Central American cigar brands. So today's consumers have grown accustomed to their flavor profiles.

With the long, American varieties, their major manufacture was in the thousands of small, American cigar factories. So, over the past 40 years, as American tastes changed to Honduran, Nicaraguan, Costa Rican and Dominican cigars, every one of those small American cigar factories went out of business. Their cigars were less expensive, but the recent tax hikes on cigars priced American cigars out of the market. As a result, the commercial producers of those unique, American tobacco varieties just stopped growing them. So I doubt that there is any of it available anywhere in the cigar leaf supply chain.

There are also many American derived variants of Havana tobacco that have vanished from production (the "numbered" Havanas, Zimmer Spanish, Comstock Spanish, etc). I suppose some might still be used in the cheap cigars, like Roi-Tan or Dutch Masters.

Florida used to be a major producer of cigar wrappers, mostly candela made from shade-grown Florida Sumatra. All of those growers have gone out of business. Florida Sumatra makes wonderful darker wrappers, and is excellent when sun-grown, though not as thin.

Bob
 

JOE1977

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
Messages
143
Points
43
Location
Grand Island, NE
Re: Other varieties for cigar fillar

Is there a site or book perhaps that gives a common mans explanation of the different tobaccos? I know it is probably a huge topic and maybe all the answers are on the forum in years worth of posts, but it is hard to know where to start. I know this sounds confusing what I am asking. I guess what I am asking is; What are the major players in regards to leaf? What specific characteristics do these plants/leaves have, typical flavor profile and history. I understand the minimal and general basics but I want to learn so much more about specifics of the use of the leaf when it comes to cigars as well.When I go and order from WLT or grow my own is where it gets confusing. Most of the descriptions are fairly basic when looking at the different leaves.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
That's a vast subject. Most "tobacco" magazines run articles that focus on people and finished products. Here's one article that touches on your question, even though it is mostly history.

Cigar Aficionado article (2015) Tobacco Typology: https://www.cigaraficionado.com/articles/tobacco-typology-18123

There are thousands of cigar tobacco variations, based on variety, specifically where it was grown (terroir), growing conditions like the season's weather, sun-grown vs. shade-grown, stalk level from which a leaf was harvested (from mildest to strongest: volado-->seco-->viso-->ligero-->corona), curing and fermentation conditions, and how the finished leaf has been subsequently stored and for how long.

Given that very little of this important information is available to anyone but the grower, you, as a purchaser of cigar leaf from WLT can follow a few threads of the leaf story.

Country of Origin: As a vague rule, with lots of exceptions, Dominican leaf is milder than Honduran leaf, which is milder than Nicaraguan leaf.

Leaf Priming: You generally can't get volado, unless you grow it yourself. For a mild cigar, make the majority of the filler blend from seco, with a small quantity of viso or ligero. For cigars with fuller flavor and nicotine strength, reduce the seco, and increase the viso or ligero.

Wrappers: Sumatra, Besuki and Shade leaf (CT or Ecuador) are relatively mild, and can reduce the impact of stronger filler blends. The darkest of the wrappers are fairly full-bodied, and will do the opposite.

Binders: As with wrappers, darker binders tend to increase the overall strength of a given cigar blend. A good rule of thumb for adequate wrapper burn is to match a thin wrapper with a thicker binder, or a thick wrapper with a thinner binder. (I often use a double binder of Sumatra or Besuki--whether they are designated as wrappers of binders--with all sorts of blends and wrapper varieties, and this usually works out well.)

Variety: This is what your were hoping for. What does each one taste like? Instead, I will simply say that you will need to experience the unique flavors and aromas of the different varieties, since I have no vocabulary to describe them. That's the adventure. Use the country of origin and the priming level to experiment with the potency. Those considerations alone will lead you to wonderful home-rolled cigars. I will spare you the usual food allusions. It's tobacco. It smells like tobacco and tastes like tobacco. But each variety has its own nuance.

Bob
 

Ben Brand

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
1,167
Points
63
Location
Groblersdal, South Africa
I love Long Red, the only problem I have with it, it gets loads of diseases, I planted it with Little Dutch and Conn B Leaf and both were fine
IMG-20170222-WA0001.jpg IMG-20170222-WA0004.jpgIMG-20170222-WA0008.jpg
By the way Bob, you`re a handsome devil:)
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
I love Long Red, the only problem I have with it, it gets loads of diseases...
The origin of most tobacco varieties developed during the 20th century was the need to find resistance for specific diseases. The thousands of GRIN tobacco accessions acquired by their "Agricultural Explorers" were sought as potential sources of genetic resistance, and some were used (in traditional genetic breeding techniques) to impart resistance in new commercial varieties.

Whenever I attempt to grow CT Broadleaf, it tends to develop blue mold, while all my other varieties that same year do not.

Bob
 

BigBonner

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,671
Points
63
Location
Kentucky
The origin of most tobacco varieties developed during the 20th century was the need to find resistance for specific diseases. The thousands of GRIN tobacco accessions acquired by their "Agricultural Explorers" were sought as potential sources of genetic resistance, and some were used (in traditional genetic breeding techniques) to impart resistance in new commercial varieties.

Whenever I attempt to grow CT Broadleaf, it tends to develop blue mold, while all my other varieties that same year do not.

Bob

If it has been a while since you grew CT Broadleaf then you may be able to grow it now . Back years ago when the south was covered in tobacco patches the dreaded blue mold would be carried by wind and storms up from the south . Blue mold would not over winter in cold freezing states . Blue mold was monitored by USDA and tracked so this would inform farmers to take preventative blue mold measures .

Tobacco patches was abundant all over the southern states . This allowed BM to spread and multiply and spread some more and land in pretty much every tobacco patch . Farmers was spraying with bleach , Ridomil and other chemicals that was legally listed for use on BM.

When blue mold was a big problem that is when Universities and tobacco companies started breeding tobacco so that leaves stood up instead of drooping like CT Broadleaf does . This allowed tobacco more air and sunshine down tobacco rows and stalks , drying up excess moisture that allowed blue mold spores to live and grow . Most Old tobacco varieties the leaves would droop just like CT Broadleaf do . This causes moisture to be trapped around the plants with no sunshine and made a shady breeding ground for BM.

With tobacco patches nearly gone it is harder for blue mold to multiply and be as big of a problem as in the past . With all the type of tobacco that I grow I have not seen any blue mold for several years now .
I have some over ripe spots in my leaves but that is not from BM .

If BM is a problem then full sun will help keep BM down . I remember planting along a creek and kind of shady , BM pretty much eat it up and I know it made a lot of spores that was blown on to other neighbors crops
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
That's interesting, Larry. My best crop of CT Broadleaf was in one of my driest and sunniest beds. I'll have to consider it for 2019.

Bob
 

BigBonner

Moderator
Founding Member
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
1,671
Points
63
Location
Kentucky
That's interesting, Larry. My best crop of CT Broadleaf was in one of my driest and sunniest beds. I'll have to consider it for 2019.

Bob

If you happen to change your mind and have a extra spot . I will have CT Broadleaf plants I can send you .
 

Nathan Esq

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2019
Messages
91
Points
33
Location
Florida

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Long Red is not a Virginia variety. It's a cigar type. Since it does not produce the sugars that are ideally captured by flue-curing, it would likely be ruined by flue-curing.

Long Red should always be picked mature (though fully ripe will also work), and be air-cured to a deep brown. After that, kilning for 4 to 6 weeks will give you excellent cigar leaf. Plan B would be to simply allow it to naturally age for a year or three, though just aged will never come out as nice as with kilning.

Bob
 

Nathan Esq

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2019
Messages
91
Points
33
Location
Florida
Thanks, that's my plan. Just wasn't sure of the variety. We'll see how it goes. I also have some Criollo 98 and Havana (no number, just havanah). I'm thinking of 2 plants each and see how it goes.
 
Top